Beyond the Mist
by Cirqueinese
Summary: Philemon is the new apprentice of Eugen who is the nightkeeper of the "O" theatre. Soon Philemon will be thrust into a world no one ever knew to be part of the "O" theatre.
1. The Ending

**Beyond the Mist**

**The Ending**

The red curtain pulled and lifted itself out of the floating basket upon the surface of the ever present water. Like wings of the forever caged bird set free, the heavy cloth soared to the heavens, and attached itself to the stage ceiling. The show was over.

For a moment everything seemed bliss as the closing song drifted over the theatre. Then the moment was broken by the sound of vigorous applause, sprinkled with whistling and cheering.

The Players didn't flinch. They remained completely still, inhaling and embracing that glorious sound they craved for. None of the Players ever left before the standing ovation was over. Their very beings overflowed with pride, acceptance and righteousness as they drank in what the crowd had to offer them. A smile plastered on everyone of them.

Just a bit longer before the audience quieted their praise and began to disperse into the isles, musing and chit-chatting amongst themselves as they exited the theatre.

Behind the curtains The players also began to leave the stage, disappearing into the misty backgrounds and crooks and crannies of the theatre. Or diving into the watery depths of the large, sparkling pool where the basket still remained, satisfied with their fill of appreciation and fame. The once watery opening again closed up to be merely a damp stage floor, and the lights dimmed overhead. But the fog remained.

Soon the only one left on the stage was Philemon. The wonderer, the curious, the adventure seeker, the boy, the apprentice, waiting for Eugen. The guide, the dark, the mysterious, the cynical….The guardian.

For quite some time all that could be heard was the splish- splash of the water underfoot.

_I wanted this job, _thought Philemon, _I will put up with the boss's tardiness if I must. _

Soon the stage parted once more revealing a small river flowing calmly. Philemon had to quickly hop out of the way to avoid splashing into the dark ribbon of water. Slowly emerging from the fog, came Eugen, floating peacefully towards Philemon in his transportation device of choice. An over-sized floating umbrella. When the umbrella reached the part of the stage where Philemon was standing, it stopped. Which was quite odd because the water kept flowing. Eugen eyed the boy on stage.

"Well boy, are you ready to start work?" Eugen asked with the slightest hint of slyness in his voice.

"Yes sir," Philemon answered.

With a slight chuckle and a sly grin, Eugen said, "Come then, young one, tonight you will learn all there is to know about this aging place," and with that he motioned for Philemon to come aboard his craft.

Once aboard, the umbrella once again began to float in the direction it was going originally. Soon to be entering a world that was way beyond that of any that might be presented on the stage. Soon they would be in the depths that no one ever knew to be a part of the "O" theatre.

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**A/N : Hi! Oh my gosh I'm SOOOO excited! This is my first ever fanfiction! Please review!**

**Love, Cirqueinese**


	2. The Begining

**The Beginning**

Moving through the mist, the two aboard the floating umbrella venture back, through the water.

Heading towards the left wing of the stage, Philemon patiently awaited for something to happen or to be said. As the umbrella continued to move across the watery stage, all that could be heard was the _wisps _and the _stssss _of the fog and mist.

Philemon took it upon himself to observe his new boss. Eugen was a strange being indeed. Always taking to an arched position, it appeared like he never sat or stood strait up. His hair looked messy and unkempt, random strands and pieces sticking every which way. As for his attire, he wore an interestingly tight tuxedo with rather loose arms. He also wore white gloves. His face, as like the other characters, was covered in make up. His face was covered in white, with red lips, dark eyeliner, and thin, high arched eyebrows. He was quite a sight to take in. But Philemon was used to such looks, as he was not unfamiliar to theatre.

Philemon was raised in Sicily, and grew up watching street performers, with their dramatic acts and lively costumes. He always new that he wanted to pursue his dreams of theatre. His wanderings lead him here, to "O".

Once the umbrella had reached the wings, they were passing by various lightings, pulleys and theatrical contraptions. The sets hanging from the ceiling. Then above were even more amazing props and walkways for performers to dive from.

Eugen silently chuckled when he saw his new apprentice gaping in awe at the workings of the theatre.

"Wow, who controls all of this?" asked Philemon to no one in particular.

Answering his question, Eugen says, "the theatre does."

"Huh," said Philemon, "so it controls everything….on it's own? There's no one controlling all of this?"

"No."

"But how? How does it know when to change sets and open the pool?"

Eugen, tells the boy as they are turning a corner into the backstage, " The theatre knows everything that goes on here. It senses our presence, and feels our existence. It will always know what you need and when you need it. It will provide you passage to wherever you need to go in this place. You see boy, a theatre is not just a place for housing performance, this theatre is alive."

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**I am so sorry that it took me this long to update such a short chapeter. But, inspiration comes at inspirations will. I will try to update as soon as inspiration finds me. Review if you like where this is going...**

**Wishing zen and happiness,**

**cirqueinese**


	3. The Theatre

The Theatre

"The Theatre has a spirit, as do all things in existence, and out of existence. Whether it chooses to present itself or not, it is there. Quietly watching. Watching, and being," this Eugen said as he and the boy, Philemon, continued their journey into the depths of the theatre.

They have now drifted directly behind the stage, but as they came to a stop, Philemon's head was swimming with notions as to what could happen next. After a few minutes of floating still, in their umbrella upon water, and staring at the huge back wall of the theatre, Philemon finally spoke out, "Sir,…..what are we waiting for, Shouldn't you show me the rest of the theatre?"

At this, Eugen slowly said, "As I said before, The theatre will provide you passage to wherever you need to go,"

Just after Eugen's last word, the huge back wall started to slowly separate, letting in a sliver of dim, blue tinted light. The wall continued to open slowly like giant, concrete, automatic doors. Philemon couldn't believe what he was seeing.

It couldn't be real. An illusion. A trick. Magic? But in spite of Philemon's doubt, the doors fully opened to reveal a glistening lake with a huge cascading waterfall crashing into it. All around the lake were lush, green, gargantuan weeping willow trees, their vines lightly dancing in the breeze. On top of the water fall, Philemon saw a gigantic Chinese Banyan tree. The sky was a blue-ish gray, which then turned darker as it ascended into the heavens above. It looked as if someone charmed the theatre to look like the night sky. Where was the ceiling? And of course, misty fog was everywhere. It graced almost everything in this place with it's presence.

The flowing water led Eugen and his apprentice through the cement opening into this world that seemed outstandingly surreal. Eugen felt at home once more, while his apprentice was now gaping in awe at his surroundings.

The umbrella led them towards the center of the lake, while Philemon just barely fell out of the craft looking at everything. Peering into the gorgeous Willows, he thought he saw…eyes….yes, eyes. Faces even, but masked. Sure enough, a handful of those masked faces leaped out of the tree, showing bodies to accompany the heads. Dressed in multicolored nylon, with long colorful braids, the creatures dove into the water. Philemon recognized them. They were players.

"You recognize them?" asked Eugen without a glance at Philemon.

"They are players," responded the boy.

"yes."

"But, what are they? Mermaids? Sirens? Nymphs?" The boy throws guesses at his boss.

"They are the never speaking swimmers that enchant us with their beauty, talents, and spirits. They are gregarious beings and, most importantly, your new co-workers. Which brings me to a great point, as my night keeper apprentice, it is your job to be familiar with all of the characters, creatures and other beings in this place," Eugen explains to the boy as he is lost in watching the swimmers glide and float around their umbrella.

They turn onto a river branching off from the lake, on the right of the waterfall. The swimmers follow, unwilling to let their new companions leave without them.

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**Wow, I can't wait to upload the next chapter. I would have just made this one longer, but i kind of like short chapters, sorry. At least we got to see some other characters here! I hope you readers are liking this behind-the-theatre-worldness i'm coming up with. **

**The next chapter will have lots more characters and a lot of food. Yummy food. Questions: Which character(s) would you like to come next? And what types of yummy foods would you like to see?**

**Songs I listened to while writing this: Remous (O) and Vocea (Varekai)**

**Wishing zen and happiness,**

**Cirqueinese**


	4. The Feast  Part I

**The Feast**

As the swimmers and the floaters continued down the river, the lighting dims and the sky is now a stunning dark blue, with twinkling stars scattered all above. The willows on either side of the river seemed to beckon the travelers onward. Philemon looked at his boss, who said nothing, and he looked underfoot at the swimming creatures gliding alongside their umbrella.

_So mysterious, _Philemon thought of theses creatures who seemed to be at total peace, but showing no emotion. Never disclosing whatever feelings might be worn behind their masks. Just flowing, as if they had always been part of the water. Always a single drop in an ever flowing river of nirvana.

"A few of the creatures here are like that," said Eugen, "letting others think that they abandoned something as mundane as feelings, and only giving the illusion of being alive. But they know, as do the theatre and I, that this is not true in the slightest."

"How do you know?" questioned Philemon.

"Let's just say that I am…observant."

More lights started twinkling in the distance as the river dragged it's voyagers towards their destination. Fireflies? Philemon couldn't tell as he and Eugen past through a rather thick bundle of fog. Once they emerged, Philemon saw that it wasn't Fireflies, but candles. Candles floating adrift in the air. There was also what looked like a small dock, connecting to a rather large patio. Actually, a _huge,_ cobble-stone patio, with peeps of grass sticking from around the stones. The ground was sprinkled with big, round squat tables and fluffy, puffy pillows encircling them. There were a also a few elegant, white painted, metal tables sitting in the corner, with chairs to match. The candles casting a warm glow over everything.

The umbrella came to a stop at the dock and Philemon saw that their swimming friends had abandoned them. Looking expectantly into Eugen's eyes, Philemon asked, "…Should we get off?"

To which Eugen answered, "We should."

The apprentice waited for Eugen to go first, but upon realizing that this would not be happening, he stepped onto the dock and walked onto the grass littered cobblestone. Observing the scene more intently, the young one found that the whole patio was indeed surrounded by more willows. He also saw that what he thought was a river bank was actually one side of a little island Inside the river.

Eugen boarded the dock after his apprentice, and if Philemon thought that seeing his boss standing was odd, seeing him walk was even more intriguing. Still hunched over, like an elderly man, but graceful, and Eugen did not limp as Philemon would have expected, but strode elegantly and calmly. Philemon followed Eugen towards one of the metal tables, but, out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw something appear out of no where.

The apprentice turned to see that five clothed tables now stood behind the squat tables. He moved closer to the tables, investigating what they were holding. To his delight, four of the five tables were abundant with food. A plethora of food! Foods of every kind, from everywhere. There were steaming bowls of pasta, potatoes, rice both steamed and fried. There was roast beef, ham, and turkey. Pans of paella, and bowls filled high with green, leafy salads. There were thick deli sandwiches, and pots of rich stew, black bean soup, and clam chowder. There were trays of sushi, baskets of dim sum, and bowls of curry. Chinese fried noodles, pinto beans, perogies, sausages, sweet corn, dolmades, edamame, couscous, and so much bread! Baguettes of sourdough, loafs of ciabatta, yeast rolls, and trays of hot, buttery naan.

Then there were various gravies, humus's, dressings, and dipping oils. And the desserts! Sweet, juicy, fruits such as mangoes, oranges, apples, pomegranates, and kiwis. Warm cobblers and pies. Bananas' Foster, chocolate cake, cranberry sauce, and various cupcakes, tarts, and truffles. There was even an assortment of drinks. Hot teas and coffee, juices, wine, and Mexico's finest chocolate caliente. The last table held plates, bowls, glasses and cups for whomever the dinners might be this evening.

Philemon walked away from the food tables with a watering mouth, and headed toward one of the white tables, where Eugen was sitting.

"Who is all of this for?" asked Philemon

Eugen answered, "You will see soon enough, young one."

Philemon took a seat in a chair next to Eugen, "Did the theatre make all of this too?"

"No and yes. The theatre did not make the food, but it did bless us with _Les Chefs, _who prepared the food this evening, these past evenings, and hopefully, the future evenings," Eugen answered his apprentice once more.

The two remained sitting quietly, for a few minutes, although Philemon desperately wanted to partake in indulging his taste buds. For the delicious smell of the foods was wafting over him. Then Eugen said, "It would be wise to get your fill now. Before they get here…"

Philemon was starting to think that Eugen could read his mind, but never the less, he grabbed a plate and started filling it with the hot food. He started heading back to the table with a full plate and a glass of red wine, when he heard splishing and splashing coming from the water. Creatures started emerging from the water. First came a group of players with zebra stripes all over their bodies and long black braids pouring down their backs. Their faces white with blue eye makeup and red lips. The way they moved, so….curious and eager to explore everything. Almost childish. They hopped, skipped, and cart-wheeled over to the food tables, grabbing plates and filling them generously with food.

"The Zebras," stated Eugen when he saw Philemon, now sitting down again, staring at the creatures.

Philemon tried to take a sip of his wine while watching the Zebras, but Eugen snatched the glass out of his hands, "You don't fool me boy. I know you are not of age," he said, taking a sip.

_I thought that I would at least be able to drink now that I've left my mother's house_, thought Philemon sourly. He got up to get another beverage, when he spotted a girl floating towards the dock on a giant lily pad. She stepped aboard the dock, looking gorgeous in the candle light. She had on a white and gold dress that feathered out at the bottom. Her hair was in tight gold curls, and her smile as beautiful as a crescent moon. Philemon blushed at the sight of her. Eugen sat entertained, watching the boy's embarrassment play out.

"Hmmm," he said to himself, and then took another sip of wine.

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**How many of you so want to be at that dinner? me! I hope you guys liked. i thought I would explain some of the foods though:**

**Paella- a Cuban yellow rice dish that is loaded with seafood like shrimp, prawns, and muscles. **

**Dim Sum- a Chinese basket used for steaming food, often dumplings. **

**Perogies- Polish dumplings usually filled with potatoes and cheese.( I made some one time, SOOOO yummy!)**

**Dolmades- Greek grape leaves stuffed with a rice mixture**

**Edamame- soybeans**

**Naan- Indian flat bread often served with hot butter**

**Wishing zen and happiness,**

**Cirqueinese**


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